Oral Answers to Questions — Government Departments. – in the House of Commons at on 6 February 1929.
Sir Smedley Crooke
, Birmingham Deritend
asked the Prime Minister if he will consider the advisability of changing the designation of the Ministry of Labour to the Ministry of Employment, the Minister of Labour to Minister of Employment, the Labour Exchange to Employment Exchange, as the inference was held in some poor industrial districts that what is known as labour pay comes from the Labour party?
Mr Stanley Baldwin
, Bewdley
The time to consider any change in the title of the Ministry of Labour would be in connection with a review of the more general question of the reallocation among different Departments of the functions of Government and would even in itself involve legislation. The change in name from "Labour Exchange" to "Employment Exchange," which my hon. Friend now suggests, was made more than 10 years ago.
Mr Neil Maclean
, Glasgow Govan
Has the right hon. Gentleman considered the advisability of re-naming these Exchanges the Ministry of Unemployment Exchanges?
Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
